Mayfair Theatre

That is funny! Man can I relate to that. I also grew up going to the Tower Theatre. I remember they had a lot of double features, not always in spanish. I remember watching The Good The Bad & The Ugly, then the 2nd feature was a mexican “vaquero” movie, usually dirty old Mexican vaqueros chasing the daughters of a poor Mexican farmer that was leading a good Christian life. Yes I too got bored of watching the vaqueros, so I also learned how to take the bus to go downtown.
Given the frequency of my visits to the Tower, I am sure I must have seen you there sometime. You have access to some great info and pics, if there is anything you want to share, this is my email: I wish this forum had IMs or a way to post an email on a profile, but it doesn’t. I enjoy your posts very much, you have a lot of knowledge of all the things that I loved when I was a kid growing up in Miami, so it’s always a pleasure and I look forward to you postings.

Wow, no I hadn’t. It’s in my favorites now. I guess Novicia means Monja in real spanish. You learn something new every day! Thanks

I share with Al Alvarez a ‘favorite theatre’ of my youth affection for the Mayfair. If you went out the front door of the Mayfair and walked directly west 2 blocks you would walk into the back door to my house on NE 1st Court. Mom took me to see Great Expectations there in ‘46 (my first adult movie.) In my teens I was often able to get around the 'adult only’ restrictions because I was such a regular. Saw just about every foreign/art film that played there until I went away to college in ‘58. Met and got to know Gloria DeHaven (at the time married to Dick Fincher the Oldsmobile dealer at 16th St & NE 2nd Ave) who was a regular matinee maven like me.

In the 50’s the studios of CBS radio affiliate WGBS-AM-710, a Storer station were located upstairs.

Unfortunately, I never visited the theatre. But to my great fortune and good timing, I was able to purchase six of the magnificent art nouveaux chandeliers that hung in the theatre as it was being torn down to make way for the Omni. I displayed them prominently in my restaurant in the Hotel Place St. Michel for the last 40 years. Since i have recently closed the restaurant, I wish to pass these treasures on to the next caretaker who will cherish them as all my patrons have since 1973. They are 80 yrs old, in mint condition and looking for a buyer.